Method of folding noodles.



S. MUELLER.

METHOD OF FOLDING-NOODLES. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21. I915.

dgHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESSES r m/mv r01? g I SAMZYZ'L MUELLER ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 27, 1917.

S. MUELLER.

METHOD OF FOLDING NOODLES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 21, 1915- 1,217,891. Patented Feb. 27, 1,917.

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WIT/V5885? 1 w/fl j By IIVI/E/VTOR 1Z0 SAMUEL MUELLER SAMUEL MUELLER, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

METHOD or FOLDING NOODLES.-

m I l Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filed December 2, 1909, Serial No. 531,048. Divided 1915. Serial Ne. 57,'110.

To all whom it may cionce'm." 1

Be it known that I, SAMUEL MUELLER, a

' citizen of the United States, residing at J ersey City, Hudson county, in the State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Folding Noodles, of which the following is a full,

' ed body or strip is again doubled upon itself..-

, clear, and exact specification.

' My invention relates to improvements in methods for working noodles and analogous dough products,a nd the same has for its object more particularly to provide a method whereby aplurality of bodies or strips of dough may be folded and interlocked.

Further, my'invention has for itsobject to provide a method for forming a flat packaging unitof interlocked. dough bodies.

F urther, my invention has for its object to providea method whereby bodies-or strips the second step in the method, that is to say,

of dough are folded into zigzag form. v

Further, my invention-has for its object to provide a method whereby bodies .or strips of qtoughare first'f-folded, at intermediate portions and thenthe ends thereof spaced, or spread apart,whereuponthefold- Further, my invention has for its object to provide a method by meansof which it is possible to supply any predetermined weight of product for elements of any given size by merely'varying the length of the packaging unit to include the requisite number of such interlocked elements as will yield the desired wei ht. '35

I o the attainm'ent of the aforesaid objects and ends-my invention consists in-the successive steps hereinafter more fullyg described;

and then pointed-out, in the claiinsgh p 'This applicationis a division of "my earlier application for improvements in" machines for folding noodles,filed.December 2,1909,

Serial No. 531,048, (Un i ted' States Letters Patent No. 1,192,336, dated 'July 25,1916) in which applieationthere is shown and de-' scribed an embodiment of a machine by.v means of which my improved method may be carried out.

In the accomp'an mg drawings formmg a part of this 'speci catlon', wherein like numerals of reference indicate like parts, and

wherein-is shown suflicient of the parts of Pa'tenIted Feb. 27,1917.

,and then doubling the folded noodle and delivering the same to a suitable support carried upon a conveyer Working beneath the foldlng mechanism;

Fig. 5 is an edge view of a folded noodle; Fig. 6 is a plan or top view thereof;

Fig. 7 is a plan illustrating the product of the first step in" the method, that is to say, a serles or plurality of side by side noodles formed from a sheet of dough, as by cutting,-

the position of the strips in the machine be- ;ing shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a plan illustrating the product of the\strips of dough after the first fold, the,

elngshown in Fig. 2; Fig. 9 is a plan view illustrating the product of the third step in the method, that is to position .of the folded strips in the machine say, the folded side by side strips with the end portions of the strips in one layer, spread apart or staggered relative to the end portions ofthe strips in the other layer, and

Fig. .10 is a plan illustrating the product resulting from the final step in the method, that is tosay, the complete noodles which have been again folded, the position of the -double folded and interlocked strips in the machine being shown in Fig. 4.

- In the above-mentioned application, there is shown and. described one form of a ma-' chine for formi strips of dough from ,-a sheet thereof, an for folding the formed strips in accordance with the method forming-the subject matter of this application. The arts of the machine necessary for and this application filed October 21,

carrying out the improved method are shown in the accompanying drawings, and reference is hereby made to the abovementioned application for a complete disclosure of the 'mecha-nism for operating these parts.

Thesheet of dough is-first cut into a pluralityof side by side strips 104 which; are severed from the sheet by means of a rotary cutter 55 fixed upon a shaft 52 and cooperatmembers 21, 21 of the frame.

. of the folding plate 61.

ing with a stationary blade 56 carried by the frame of the machine.

61 denotes a movable folding plate which.

rollers 64, 64 adapted to work in horizontal slots 65, 65 arranged in the horizontal side 80 designates a plate or having downwardly projecting portions 81 which work in grooved guides 82, 82, secured at I their opposite ends to the side members 21, 21, whereby the table or plate may be moved transversely to 'the. direction of V movement 86 den tes a chute comprising a downwardly and outwardly curved member 87, secured at its opposite ends to the side members 21, 21 \directly below the left hand edge of the plate. 80, and a similarly shaped member 88, which isli-kewise secured inter? mediate the side members 21 of the frame,

and has its upper horizontalportion 88 =arranged in alinement with the top of the movable plate 80, and provided at its outer:

end with an upwardly projectin'g rim or flange 89.

90, 90, denote arms whichare united by a transverse member 91 havinga curved plate 92 secured at itsupper edge-to the transverse portion 91 of said arms- 90, and 93 denotes an arm secured to the outerside of one of the arm members 90 andpivotally connected p folding plate 92 1s. causedto descend and in ably near the middle thereof, by thefront edge of the folding plate 61, as indicated in Fig. 1, and are carried forward thereby until the .plate nearly assumes the position shownin Fig. 2, in which position onelaye'r. of dough formed by the end portions of the strips defined by the working edge of-said plate-or carrierrests .upon the-inclined portion 62 of said plate or carrier, and the other layer of dough, forming the. other end-por .tions of the strips defined by the front edge of theplate or carrier, rests upon the upper surface of theshifting plate or table 80.

, The front edge of the said folding plate or carrier til produces a fold inthe stri s of dough-indicated by 107 Fig. 8. At tjefl,

completion of this step in the method "of rality of side by side or parallel strips 106, 106 having a single fold, and also having upper end-portions108 and lower end-portions 109. In the act offolding by the folding plate or carrier 61 the upper endportlons 108- of the strips rest upon the inmovement of the table or shifting plate 80 104 are engaged at a" point intermediate of their ends,'but preferother, as shown in Fig. 9'. In the embodiment of the machine described. this effect is produced uponthe once folded strips'before the plate 61 reaches the extreme limit of its forward movement, by means of the table or plate which is moved bodily in a transverse or sidewise direction.

This movement of the table or shifting plate 80 causes the layer of foldedstrips of dough formed by the lower end-portions 109 resting upon the'upper side of said table or plate and below the folding plate or carrier 61, to be movedsidewise. The direction of is in a plane parallel with that of the plane of movement of the folding plate or carrier- 61, but rectilinearly thereof. a

The. end portions of the stripshaving been relatively spread apart or staggered the folding plate 61 is quickly retracted to 'the position shown in Fig.3.

Afterthe folding late or carrier 61 has been retracted the individual strips of dough will. be left imposition upon the horizontal portion 88 of the? chute member 88, and

'upon the top of the table or, shifting plate 80, the position of the folded strips being indicated in Fig. 3.v

- Hereupom-the curved folder-plunger or.

descending it engages 'the'strips of folded dough lying in position over. the entrance'of" the chute 86, and carries the strips outwardly fold indicated by' 110 in F ig.'10, where the".

double folded strips" are shown. lQbviously the double fold will be between the single fold 107 Fig. 8,.and the-ends of the" end'portions 108, 109, and will .be parallel with thesingle foldlQ'Z. The. shapeof each individe ual dough strip fol ded,: "as described. is

shown in Figs. 5 and 6,. which illustrate the "form of each complete noodle. Each noodle is composed of four la ersof .doughhaving a single fold atone en and-two folds at the other end, and the noodle, when thus folded, has. ajzigzag form.

-,; It will be clearlon reference to Figs. 5

j and 6, in connection with FigQlO, that the making noodles, there are produced a plu reviously 'ously single folded strip being then interlocked with the folded end portions 109 of the nextor adjacent strips.

30 vidual elements as well i zigzag-shaped body, and permitting said pearance.

The folded and interlocked strips of dough or noodles are, after the described double-folding, delivered from the end of the chute 86 to suitable trays which are arranged upon the f veyer 40, in order to conduct the noodle f mm the end of the machine in a continuous series of transversely arranged rows withi'the laterally diverging end portions of said noodles interlocked..-

v This movement may be continuous or intermittent as desired. j

- The strips or bodies of dough, folded and interlocked as above described, form a selfsustaining unit which may be lifted bodily 'by grasping the ends thereof without danger of separation of the .bodies. This feature greatly facilitates the packaging of the folded bodies. Furthermore,. when placed 111 a package, the folded bodiespresent a neatand'attraotive appearance as the units are flat, and as the longitudinal edges of each of the folded bodies engage the corresponding edges of the adjacent bodies they will present an attractive and uniform ap- To obtain any packaging unit it merely becomes necessary to increase orreducethe number of interlocked elements constituting such packing unit,:or --to vary both the size ofthe indi as the size of the packing unit as a whole. I Having thus describ$ my said invention, what I claim Patent ijsj:@j I

' 1. The "hereindescribed method'which consists in 'fol 'ng astrip of dough to form a body to remain in said shapeuntil dry, .sub-' 'stantially as specified. r 4

2. The. hereindescribedmethod which consists in folding a strip of dough to form a W-shaped body, substantially'asspecified. 3.; The hereindescribed method which colisists infolding a strip ,of' dough to form a body having a plurality of diverging-portions,- and permitting said body to remain in its folded'form until dry, substantially as specified. 1 v I J 4. The-hereindescribed method which 'conbody having a plurality of "diverging. portions with the correspondinglyd sposed portions in parallelism with ne v7'a'ii'g'ajther, and

5: Thelhereindescribed method which con- I consists in transversely folding aplurality the folded Strip Qr0s 3iw e bstap uy. as

specified. g c. 4 6. The hereindescribed method whichjconsists in folding a long, relatively-narrow "predetermined weight of and" desire to secure by Letters mg the folded .body crosswise, whereby a single fold is produced at one end of the noodle, and two folds at the other end there of, substantially as specified.-

7. The hereindescribed method which'consists in folding. a strip-of dough across an intermediateportion, disposing the ends of said strip laterally in the plane of the folded the plane of the folded body, and then oldstrip, and then folding the folded strip crosswise, whereby a single fold is produced at one end of the noodle, and two folds at Ehel other end thereof, substantially as speci- 8. The hereindescribed method which consists in folding a strip of dough across an intermediate portion, disposing-the end portions of the strip angularly sidewise in the plane of .the folded strip to form an angle, and then folding said folded strip crosswise, whereby a single fold is produced at one end of the noodle, and two folds at the other endthereof, substantially. as specified.

' 9. The hereindescribed method which consists in folding fa rel'atively,-narrow strip of dough, disposing the ends of the strip sidea wise in the plane. of the folded strip, and

then folding the folded strip crosswise,

whereby a single fold is produced'at one ;end of the noodle, and two folds at the other end thereof, substantially as specified.

10. The hereindescribed method which consists in folding and interlocking a plurality of; strips of dough, substantially as 11. "The hereindescribed method which consists in simultaneously folding and interlocking a plurality of strips of dough,

strips with each other, substantially as specified.

15. The hereindescribed method which of side by side,-'.- long, relatively-narrow bodies of dough, and concurrently therewith interl ring the ends thereof, substantially as specified.

, 16.,1The hereindescribed method whichconsistsin transversely folding a plurality 'of side-by side strips of dough, and concuring .portionsof the adjacent strips'with each,

said rently therewith staggering and interlockother, substantially as spec1fied. w

17. The herei, described method v-which consists in foldin .a' layer composed of a the other layer, and then folding the folded bodies of the two la ers cross-wise between their ends and the rst fold, whereby four layers are produced composed of interlocked bodies of dough,"substantially as specified. I

18. The hereindescribed method which consists in folding a layer composed of a plurality of side by intermediate POI'iZIOIIS thBIBOf to produce two layers and a single fold, disposing the end portions of each strip sidewise, in the planes of the layers to stagger the end portions in one layer relatively to the end portions in the other layer, and thenfolding the folded strips of' the two layers cross. wise between their ends and the first fold, whereby four layers are produced composed of interlocked strips of dough, substantially as specified.

19. The hereindescribed method: which consists in forming a long, relatively-narrow body of dough, with diverging endportions, and folding said body across the end-portions thereof, substantially as specified.

20. The hereindescribed method which consists in forming a long, relatively narrow body of dough with end-portions extending laterally in diverging directions, and folding said end-portions;

21. The fhiereindescribed method which consists in' forming bodies of dough with end-portions extending in opposite directions, and overlapping the end-portions of adjacent bodies, substantially as spew1 22..The hereindescribed method which side strips of dough, at a consists in forming bodies of dough with end-portions extending in opposite directions, overlapping the end-portions of adjacent bodies, and folding the overlapped dough bodies, substantially as specified.

23. The hereindescribed method .which consists in forming a unit consisting of a plurality of folded interlocked dough bodies, substantially as specified.

24. The hereindescribed method which consists in forming a flat unit consisting of a plurality of interlocked dough bodies,'substantiall'y as specified.

25The hereindescribed method which consistsin forming -a-unit consisting of a plurality of interlocked bodies 'of zigzag form, substantially as specified.

26. The hereindescribed method. which consists in forming a unit consisting of a;

plurality of interlocked bodies of W-shaped form, substantially as specified.

27. The hereindescribed method which consists in forming a unit consisting of a plurality ,of interlocked bodies with the longitudinal edges of each of the bodies'engagmg the longitudinal edges of the adjacent bodies having their several correspondingfolded portions in as s ecified. a

S1gned at the cit of New York, in the countyand State of ew York, this 13th day parallelism, substantially of October, one thousand, ninehundred and fifteen.

- SAMUEL MUELLER.

Witnessesz" CONRAD A. Dmcn, WM 1?. Jonas. 

